Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart is indeed quite smart. During his time as Nick Saban’s defensive coordinator with the Alabama Crimson Tide, Smart learned the importance of stacking raw talent. Smart alluded to this after this year’s win over the Florida Gators at the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. He said good players would beat good schemes every time. The remark was taken as a thinly veiled shot at then-Florida head coach Dan Mullen, who was not an enthusiastic recruiter. Yet, truth be told, Smart is a lot more right than wrong. But Smart had to eat his words against Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. Alabama had the vastly superior quarterback, Bryce Young, who clinched the Heisman Trophy against UGA. Now comes the Orange Bowl game against the tough-as-nails Michigan Wolverines.
The Georgia Bulldogs will face the Michigan Wolverines in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. This game will take place on Friday, December 31, 2021, at 7:30 p.m. ET, with television coverage on ESPN. This matchup is the second of two College Football Playoff games on Friday.
College Football Betting at BookMaker.eu
Georgia Bulldogs -7.5
Michigan Wolverines +7.5
Total 45
Odds Analysis
Georgia opened as a 7.5-point favorite with a total of 45. SEC branding is baked into that price. Casual gamblers always rush to the betting window to plunk down their cash on SEC power programs. Counter to that is Wise Guys salivating at the prospects of taking a TD-plus with a quality Big Ten champion Michigan program.
Sharps are concerned about the quarterback situation of the Bulldogs. Regular starter Stetson Bennett is a prototypical game manager. But he was exposed by Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. JT Daniels has significantly more natural talent than Bennett. But Daniels has been injury-prone and hasn’t won the confidence of UGA coach Kirby Smart.
Also factoring into the sharp’s mentality is what Michigan did to Ohio State. The Wolverine win was no accident. The Maize and Blue emasculated and disemboweled Ohio State. And then the curb-stomping of Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game was further proof of a power program that has roared back to life.
Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia stands at 12-1 straight up, 8-5 against the spread, and 6-7 under the total. The Bulldogs rank 7th for scoring offense and 1st for points allowed. Georgia is coming off a 41-24 loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game as 6-point favorites. The Bulldogs have failed to cover three of their most recent five games. Georgia is 3-1 over the total in their last four matchups.
Georgia may have been reading its own headlines too much heading into their game with Alabama. The conventional wisdom was that Georgia’s defense was so dominant that it would cover for its game-managing quarterback. The loss to Alabama has raised questions about Georgia on both sides of the line. Most importantly, the Bulldog defense was exposed for all of its weaknesses.
Michigan Wolverines
Michigan has a record of 12-1 straight up, 11-2 against the spread, and 7-6 over the total. Michigan is coming off a 42-3 win over Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game as 11.5-point favorites. The Wolverines have covered five straight games. And Michigan has gone over the total in their most recent three outings. Michigan ranks 13th in the nation for scoring offense and 4th for points allowed.
Wise Guys have noticed how Michigan is peaking at the perfect time. And that the Wolverines have more offense than originally advertised.
Georgia vs. Michigan Prediction
The wrong team is favored here. Michigan is in top form, while Georgia faces new doubts about Kirby Smart’s success formula and quarterbacks.
BookMaker Pick: Michigan Wolverines
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